James Copeland | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 May 1918 Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland |
| Died | 17 April 2002 (aged 83) London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953-1991 |
| Spouse |
Helen Copeland (died 1997) |
| Children | 2, including James Cosmo[2] |
James Copeland (1 May 1918 – 17 April 2002)[1] was a Scottish actor.
His film work began in 1953, the year which saw him play the most prominent role of his movie career, that of Andy McGregor in the ensemble cast of Innocents in Paris. Other roles included Mackay in The Seekers (1954), the ship's mate in The Maggie (1954), Rockets Galore! (1958), a police constable (at a road block) in The 39 Steps (1959), Farewell Performance (1963), Torture Garden (1967), and the guide in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).
He also appeared on TV as one of the first continuity announcers/newsreaders with Aberdeen-based station Grampian TV, from its inception in September 1961, he left the station after a few months and returned to acting where he also played the Gond leader Selris in the Doctor Who story The Krotons,[3] Captain Ogilvie in Operation Kilt, an early episode of Dad's Army, and the Scottish customer in Camping In, an episode of Are You Being Served?. He later played Jamie Stewart in Take the High Road from 1982 to 1987. He produced a collection of poetry entitled Some Work (Bramma, 1972) which included the much anthologised poem 'Black Friday'.
He had a son, James Cosmo, who is also an actor, and a daughter named Laura.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Laxdale Hall | Fisherman | |
| 1953 | Sailor of the King | Cmdr. Laughton | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Innocents in Paris | Andy | |
| 1954 | The Maggie | The Mate | |
| 1954 | The Seekers | Mackay | |
| 1954 | Mask of Dust | Johnny Jackson - mechanic | |
| 1955 | You Lucky People! | Pvt. Jim Campbell | |
| 1956 | The Battle of the River Plate | Chief Yeoman, HMS Achilles | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Rockets Galore! | Kenny McLeod | |
| 1959 | The 39 Steps | Police Constable at Roadblock | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Tunes of Glory | One of the Other Officers #4 | |
| 1963 | Farewell Performance | Andrews | |
| 1967 | Torture Garden | Fred | (segment 2 "Terror Over Hollywood") |
| 1967 | The Big Catch | Mr. Cameron | |
| 1970 | The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes | Guide | |
| 1990 | The Big Man | Sam | (final film role) |
References
- 1 2 "James Copeland". The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland. 24 April 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- ↑ Administrator. "Burgh actor man of many talents". www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk.
- ↑ Mulkern, Patrick. "The Krotons". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
External links